Sneak

By: Liz

Pairing: Inui/Shinji

Fandom: Prince of Tennis

Theme: #25. fence

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters herein. I do not claim to own them, and I am not making any profit off of this. This is just fun in a fandom I enjoy. If you want to sue me for all I'm worth…please do! You're welcome to my student loans and other bills.

Rating: PG

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay. There was a death in my family, and that came first.

Inui knew that he shouldn't do it.

It would be wrong, he told himself. Shinji had been very clear that he could not see Inui today. Between an extended practice in preparation for the city tournaments and a project that he had to work on with Kamio, Shinji had stated unequivocally that he could not see Inui. It would have to wait for tomorrow. Inui knew that. He processed it, understood it, and told Shinji that it was fine.

Yet he was still standing outside the fence that surrounded Fudomine's grounds, contemplating climbing over it.

I really shouldn't, Inui thought to himself, debating the pros and cons of his plan. He said he couldn't, and we're going to talk tonight. It's one day, and I should certainly be able to survive one day without seeing Shinji. But….

He stared at the fence some more. I won't stay long. I just want to surprise him, that's all. There's nothing wrong with that, is there? I don't believe so.

Decision made, Inui looked back at the fence again, calculating the best method with which to scale it.

Shinji, of course, had no idea of what was going on.

While Inui was plotting his breaking and entering scheme, Shinji was involved in a game with Ishida. Neither one of them were being serious, using the game more as a training ground to hone some of their skills, but it was serious enough that when Shinji lowered his racquet and let a very easy shot go by, Ishida was confused.

"Ibu? You all right over there?"

"What?" Shinji blinked, then shook his head. "Yeah…just thought I felt something…strange."

"Strange? Like what?"

"Like something's out of place…doesn't belong. But it's silly, so I'm going to just ignore it. Ready to go again?"

"Definitely." They started their rally when, not quite five minutes later, Shinji whipped around to stare at something, Ishida's ball narrowly missing hitting Shinji in the head. "Ibu!! Kamio, get over here!"

Kamio came running. "What? Who's hurt?" He stopped and looked at them. "You both look fine to me…."

"Ibu keeps spacing out. He will get hurt if he doesn't pay attention. You know my shots aren't a joke!" Ishida sounded caught between annoyed and concerned.

Kamio took one a closer look at Shinji and went over to him. "Shinji? Are you all right?"

"I don't know…." Shinji sounded very distracted.

"You don't know? You're not feeling good, or you're hurt, or something?" Now it was Kamio's turn to worry.

"No, nothing like that. I'm fine. I feel fine. Something doesn't feel right, though, but it's not me. It's something else."

Kamio was confused. "Something like what?"

A pause, then: "My Sadaharu senses are tingling."

"Your…what now?" Kamio was trying his hardest not to just laugh at Shinji. On the other side of the net, Ishida was not having that conflict, just outright laughing, but Shinji and Kamio were ignoring him. "I know you didn't just say what I thought you did, but in case you did…explain please?"

"My Sadaharu senses." Shinji said it like everyone should know what it means. "It feels like he's…nearby somewhere, being sneaky. Which he shouldn't be doing because I know that I told Sadaharu that I couldn't see him today, but it still feels like he's lurking somewhere nearby…." Shinji's gaze landed on a group of trees near the court, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Shinji, that's impossible!" Kamio shook his head. "I can see the gate from over where I was. If Inui had made it in here, I would've seen him and told him to go away."

Shinji ignored Kamio, instead moving to the fence closest to the trees. "You might as well come out, Sadaharu. I know you're there."

"You're crazy—" Kamio fell silent as a figure came out from behind a tree.

Inui adjusted his glasses as he approached the fence to stand across from Shinji. "There was only a 16 percent chance that you would have know that I was there."

Shinji smiled. "I know you, you sneak."

Behind Shinji, Kamio was doing his best fish impression, mouth opening and closing, but no sound coming out. Even Ishida was silent, his laughter replaced by shock.

"Why are you here Sadaharu?"

"I just wanted to see my boyfriend. Is that such a crime?" Inui smiled and tried to look innocent.

Shinji, however, knew Inui well enough not to be taken in by it. "I told you, not today! There's a lot I have to do, and I'm sorry, but I thought you could survive a day without seeing me. I said that I'd call you tonight and I meant it, so why are you here?"

"I was in the neighborhood, and…." Inui trailed off when he realized that Shinji wasn't going to accept such a trite excuse. "I missed you," he finally admitted. "I just wanted to see you."

Shinji smiled. "I missed you, too, Sadaharu. Now, go."

Inui blinked. "But…I just got here, and…."

"And you're interrupting our practice." Shinji gestured, indicating the entire team, which had pretty much stopped in its tracks to watch the show. "Plus if I let you stay you'll want to talk after, then you'll try to convince me to do something with you, when you know I promised today to Akira."

Inui tried to pout. "You like him better than me?" Then he frowned, his voice changing, becoming a little more suspicious. "Just what are you doing with him, anyway?"

"Sadaharu, for pity's sake." Shinji threw up his hands, getting frustrated. "I told you already it's a school project, so do not take that tone with me!" He glared a little at Inui. "Take your jealously elsewhere. You're my boyfriend, you're the one I care about, and I am certainly not going to have wild sex with Akira when I haven't even put out for you yet!"

Complete silence greeted Shinji's outburst.

Finally, Kamio broke the silence. "Ummm…wild sex?"

Shinji blushed, while Inui shot an angry look at Kamio, glasses glowing coldly in the light. "Don't go getting any ideas, Kamio."

"I'm not! What about "straight" do you not understand?" Kamio sighed. "Shinji…just get rid of him. Everyone else…I think this is still tennis practice!" Everyone scurried to follow Kamio's implied order.

Shinji shook his head. "Sadaharu…."

"I know. I'm sorry." Inui reached out to touch Shinji through the fence. "I should have listened to you, and I shouldn't be so jealous."

"Yes, you should've, and no, you shouldn't be." Shinji smiled and moved as close to Inui as the fence would allow. "I am flattered that you stopped by…but next time? Use the gate like everyone else?"

"I will," Inui promised. "I just want to know how you knew I was there."

"Frequent exposure, of course." Shinji grinned.

"Ibu! Say goodbye to the sweetheart now! Game, remember? I was kicking your ass, taking names…this ringing a bell?" Ishida bounced a ball on his racquet.

"You wish!" Shinji shouted back, then turned back to Inui. "Sadaharu…."

"That's my cue to go." Inui smiled and kissed Shinji quickly through the fence. "Still going to call tonight?"

"Definitely." Shinji smiled and kissed Inui again, letting it linger for a few seconds before pulling back. "Now go. Now."

"Yes, Shinji." Inui smiled, then turned and went back the way he had come from, climbing the fence back to the outside.

Shinji watched him go, shaking his head in disbelief. "He could've at least used the gate…."

--The End--